Guptas, Duduzane Zuma could be summonsed to Parliament

Parliament - The Guptas and President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma could be the first witnesses to be called to Parliament by MPs on the coal contracts and other matters relating to state capture in State-Owned Entities.

This followed the decision of the portfolio committee on public enterprises on Wednesday to back House chairman in the National Assembly Cedric Frolick to investigate state capture following leaked e-mails.

Acting chairperson of the committee Zukiswa Rantho said the investigation will begin in August.

It will run at the same time as the inquiry into Eskom, after it re-appointed Brian Molefe as Chief Executive before Cabinet fired him.

DA MP Natasha Mazzone proposed that Ajay and Atul Gupta and Duduzane Zuma be called to give evidence following the leaked e-mails allegedly implicating them on state capture.

Other MPs said the rules of Parliament required the institution to summons anyone to give evidence.

Rantho also reiterated that the rules of Parliament allowed the committee to call any witness to give evidence and they have been asked by Parliament to conduct the inquiry into state capture and Eskom.

The allegations on state capture emerged a few months ago with a trove of e-mails implicating the Guptas and Duduzane Zuma.

The committee insisted the inquiry would be a fair process to get to the bottom of state capture.